i just picked up the MAILMATE shredder at Staples for about $50 (after a $20 rebate). it’s claim to fame is shredding an entire piece of junk mail, envelope and all. i’ve been able to put through several pieces of junk mail at a time.

I got a 12-sheet (+ Credit Card slot + CD/DVD Slot) shredder with a removable basket for $89 at Walmart.

This unit replaced the $29 7-sheet shredder that I used for about 6 months before it up and died. At the time I thought “Meh, a shredder is a shredder is a shredder…”. Totally wrong there. Shoulda went Heavy Duty from the get go.

I shred everything I get in my mailbox in it, except for the “Free Weekly Newspaper Sample”.

Shredder. Bah! i just rip the mail in half. Throw half out now and the other half a few weeks later. Cost: 0.
Chance that they monitor my garbage and can put together parts of an app seperated by weeks: almost 0

My Dad (he of practical gift-giving tendencies) bought me a shredder (it’s a royal 11-page cross-cut with cd/dvd/credit card shredding). At first I was a little mystified, but I love it. I just save my shredding for a bad day (which are frequent when you work in retail management as I do) – it’s very zen.

The other day my boyfriend asked me why I had a shredder, as if I was the crazy one and everyone else in the room was just like “you don’t? what’s wrong with you?”

very small crosscuts, shreds DVDs, cds, credit cards, junk mail still in the envelope, large basket. Easily out performs fellowes shredders at 2x the cost. I actually look forward to getting junk mail now.

I’m with the litter box gang… Fellowes heavy-duty crosscut shredder and the shreddings go into my rabbit’s litter box. While rabbit excrement isn’t anywhere near as vile as a hamster/gerbil’s would be, it still would serve as quite a deterrent. For the ultra-sensitive things, I shred then burn.

Be careful with ones that start automatically if you have kids or pets.

Definitely. A year ago when our kid was a toddler, I shopped for a shredder and picked one at Office Depot that could not be turned on without simultaneously pressing and sliding a button. We’ve never shredded anything in his presence and have told him not to touch it. So he’s had zero interest in it, and (1) he hasn’t played with the mechanism and (2) he hasn’t “tested” it with our important papers.

@team gingerbread: ‘it’s very zen’. i totally know what you mean! there is something very satisfying about having all that paper ground up into nice, neat little bits. must be the anal, organized Virgo in me.

@zolielo: ‘If that does not cut it, I think that I will have to step up to a wood chipper’. no pun intended?

I also recommend the MAILMATE shredder. We’ve had it since Christmas, and it does a great job of shredding anything we put in it – except for the piece of junk mail that had a *@^%#$ nickel in it! It’s best if you keep it near the door, so you can drop your junk mail in it right away. If you’re like us, you’ll have to empty it pretty often, as the reservoir is small.

Disclaimer: I am a Staples employee. It’s still the best shredder I’ve used.